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quinta-feira, 11 de maio de 2017

Ines words
when she put on her Juliette Dress for the first time say it all: “Oh! I look
so cute!”

I haven’t
sewn dresses for my girls for quite some time. I used to make lots of nice
dresses and they would always end lost at the bottom of my daughters’ closed,
not worn at all. They are quite sporty girls and we live in the country side so
dresses are not that convenient for our lifestyle…

But I
couldn’t resist saying yes to Suz when she asked me if I would like to join her
blog tour and sew a Juliette for my kids. Especially because my friend Rita
told me she loved the pattern… I am so glad I am back to sewing nice
dresses!

PATTERN:
Juliette Dress and Top by Sew Pony(a collaboration with Kneesocks and Goldilocks) I’ve sewn almost all patterns by Sew Pony
and I must say this might be my favorite. Such a cute and simple design.
Perfect! The pattern as many options: it can be a top or a dress, it can be
sleeveless, sort sleeved or have a ¾ sleeve and, besides the ruffle collar I
choose, there is a cute faux placket that can be made with or without the
collar. Plus, by joining Sew Pony FB page, you can get a free peter pan collar.
Oh, and the pattern comes with inseam pockets. That’s a lot, right?!

So… what about Ines dress? Well, I made the ruffle collar sleeveless dress version and made almost no changes do the original pattern. I really like the fit as it is a little bit loose on her body so it allows her to move freely and gives plenty of room to grow. I loved the way the armholes are finished! Definitely facings are my favorite way to finish armholes as they look so sharp and clean.

What did I
change from the original pattern? Because I was working with printed fabric and
didn’t feel like having a seam in the middle of the back I made my back panel
in only one piece. I used a facing for the back opening and then… Disaster! I
only read the instructions after finishing the back opening! Why, oh why, do I never
read the instructions properly?! The ruffle is supposed to be sewn to the back
opening and my back opening was already finished… Unpicking it would be tricky
so I left the ruffle free instead. I think it doesn’t look bad this way but it
looks nicer on the original pattern for sure.

I must admit I have made another little change to the original pattern, purely out of laziness! Instead of hemming the ruffle, I lined it with a bit of very thin white cotton fabric. It was much easier to sew and, because my fabric wasn’t too heavy, I think it looks nice too.

FABRIC:
Flaming printed Linen from my local shop (Feira dos Tecidos). Can you believe
this fabric actually comes from Zara Kids collection? In Portugal we are lucky
to have many clothes and fabric factories and sometimes we have access to some
wonderful leftover fabric. I got this fabric long, long time ago and made a
couple of dresses for my girls. Unfortunately they don’t fit anymore… Luckily I
still had enough fabric to make this Juliette as I think linen has the perfect
drape for the ruffle collar. The back button was also bought long time ago in a
wonderful local store that sells vintage sewing supplies (Retrosaria Fantasia)
and I think it has a really nice design for this pattern.

So I guess
I am back to sewing dresses… I am glad I took some time off but I am truly happy
to be back!

quarta-feira, 3 de maio de 2017

How doesn’t
like to sew and wear garments made of the nicest quality organic cotton? We love it!

So, last
month, we were really existed to receive a package full of wonderful organic cotton by the finish brand Nosh. The girls were allowed to pick a couple of
fabrics and I picked some for myself too. And, when the package arrived I
started sewing…

I’ve
already used almost all the fabric we got, and believe me, we are a much better
dressed family now! ;-) Slowly, we will find the time and the mood for the
photo shoots so I can share with you all the garments I made. Here is the first
one!

PATTERN:
Raglan Tee (138) from Burda Style Magazine 3/2014. This spring I saw a sweater
from Zara I really loved (it looks like it is no longer available, sorry!) and
though I could make one for my kids by hacking a simple raglan sweater pattern.
Burda Magazine had the perfect pattern but it needed a couple of changes to be
exactly what I envisioned… So, what did I change from the original pattern?
Well, I’ve cut the back panel halfway through the sleeve line to create a yoke
so I could play with the two different fabrics. Also at the back panel, I made
the hem not straight but slightly curved for a high-low look. Because I was using
two different fabrics, I also created size vents as I thought the hem would
look better this way. Finally, I screen printed (not that successfully, I must
add…) the front panel. My kids are super happy with the final result! Actually,
this sweater was made for Ines but Teresa picked it first and didn’t want to
give it to her sister. That’s why it is a tiny little bit small on her, as you
can see from the photos…

FABRIC: Loopback Sweatshirting in Maple Sugar (main fabric), Tahiti Gauze in Maple Sugar-Black (back
panel fabric) and Rib in Black (neckband), all from Nosh. One thing I always
loved about the Nosh catalogue was the possibility of having different fabrics in
the same color or color combination. It is absolutely wonderful to find rib in
the exact same tone as, for example, a sweatshirt knit or tee shirt jersey,
right? So I thought I was in even when I saw gauze that would match french
terry! This french terry (or loopback sweatshirting) is beautiful and super
soft. Plus it is 240cm wide! The color is not uniform – it has a touch of white - and that gives it a
special look. I think I need the striped version too… It is gorgeous! The gauze
is quite a fun fabric, not as soft as Japanese double gauze, but still nice and
cool to work with. The rib – THE RIB! – I remember hearing my friend Annika
talk about how wonderful Nosh rib was and, believe me, she couldn’t be more
right! I never liked to work with rib but this one… Loved it! I think I need it
in every single color!

Many things went wrong when I was sewing this sweatshirt... (see photo above)

Can you tell the neckband is a little bit “not that good looking”? Well, one of the serger’s needle threads got tangled while sewing it… Can you tell the “You are my star” stencil is too close to the hem? (Even my 7 year old daughter Ines pointed that to me!) And the stencil is actually far from sharp? Oh well… At least Teresa loved it and is willing to wear it. Many, many times I’ve sewn “the” perfect garment and it stayed in their closet all season…

The fabric I used in this post was given to me by Nosh Organics, but all the opinions are my own.

quinta-feira, 27 de abril de 2017

Second blog
post of the week? I still can’t believe it. But here it is!

PATTERN: Self draft. I draft this pattern last November for my students so they could practice working with knits. The original pattern - I shared a sneak peak on my IG - had cuffs and a waistband so it could be totally made without a sewing machine, only using a serger. This time a made it without the cuffs and waistband because I didn’t have matching rib and I think I like it this way even better… Not only is this a fast and fun project to sew, it is also great design to play with contrasting fabrics. Plus, with the rabbit ears, it is a great success with my daughter Ines…

FABRIC: Bear,Rabbit and Heart Printed French Terry from The Sweet Mercerie. Last week I applied
for a chance to sew something for my kids with a fabric from the online shop
The Sweet Mercerie. I was so happy when Yvone contacted me asking if I liked
this cute fabric. I showed it to my kids and Ines said a big yes! The fabric has
the perfect weight for a spring sweater and, not only is the print adorable, it
is also a very nice quality french terry. For a bit of contrast, I mixed it
with a some black/white striped jersey from my stash.

So thank
you so much The Sweet Mercerie for this wonderful fabric. It was a pleasure to
sew it and Ines thinks it is a pleasure to wear it!

segunda-feira, 24 de abril de 2017

Burda Style
is THE sewing magazine in Portugal. When I started sewing I bought a couple of
issues and, though I liked several designs, I never got to sew any of them.
Why? Because the sewing instructions where totally impenetrable. It was as if I
was reading Chinese! So I put them aside and continue sewing with more friendly
indy patterns…

Fast forward
a couple of years and I started reading my friend Mie blogposts about her Burda Style creations and loved them so much I thought I had to give them
another try. And I am so glad I did! I still can’t understand a word of the
sewing instructions but the fitting of these patterns is absolutely great for
my body type.

So here is
my last Burda Style make!

PATTERN: Triangle Back Blouse from Burda Style Magazine 04/2016 Pattern 114. This is an easy
fitting and easy to make blouse. Though from the front it looks like quite a
simple blouse (I skipped the front opening), there is this really cute v-line
neck opening at the back. The neckline is finished with a facing, my favorite
way of finishing this kind of blouses. And there are bust darts… Oh how I
feared bust darts… But, but after watching a couple of Youtube videos about it,
I am ok making them now. This blouse has been in heavy rotation and I have
already plans to make another one. So can this be the beginning of a new love affair?

FABRIC: Liberty Mitsi from Cousette. A couple of years ago Cousette, a lovely French online
shop, was kind enough to sponsor Paris Sew Social and I got this gorgeous piece
of Liberty fabric from them. Of course, I was so afraid of cutting it stayed in
my stash all this time. But I am glad I waited! This fabric has the perfect
drape for this pattern. Of course sewing with Liberty was a pleasure and
wearing Liberty is also a pleasure…

Did you know Fashion Revolution Week just started? This is such a great movement! Check all the details about it here. And there is also a fun challenge going on, courtesy of In The Folds. Check it all here and don't forget to publish your makes with #makersforfashrev.

sexta-feira, 17 de fevereiro de 2017

It’s
already mid-February and I finally manage to write my first blogpost of the
year… I have actually been sewing quite a lot but haven’t been much into taking
photos. Even my IG seems to be asleep… I feel bad about it but sometimes,
especially during winter time, I can’t help myself and I feel so lazy! And then
I feel bad for feeling lazy…

So want a
better way to change that than blog about a pattern I am in love with?

PATTERN:
Miss Marlene by Fritzi & Schnittreif (English version available atNah-Connection). I love boat neck-tees. I think they are as comfortable as regular
tees but they look a lot fancier. Plus I feel like they really flattering for
my body type… So when my friend Annika told me she would soon be releasing the English
version of the German pattern Miss Marlene I immediately told her I would be
delighted to sew it. And I am so glad I
did it! I am in love with my new boat-neck tee! It is simply perfect! The fit
is spot on, the boat-neck collar looks super nice, the sleeves are long enough
for my extra-long arms (though I am only 1.63cm tall, it looks like I have
super long arms and almost every single long sleeve garments is too short for
me!), the overall length is perfect. I am in love! (Can I say it again?) And,
of course I think the little shoulder piece is perfect the perfect detail to
play with…

FABRIC:
Black/white striped cotton/elastane jersey from The Sweet Mercerie and camel faux
suede from my local shop (Park dos Tecidos). This striped jersey has the
perfect weight, stretch and drape for this pattern. Because of the wide boat
neck, it feels to me it is better to use a fabric with a little bit more weight
to keep the collar in place but then, because the tee is quite fitted, there is
a need for some stretch and recovery. So this striped fabric had it all! Though
I now think they actually look pretty nice, at the beginning I was a little bit
afraid about the horizontal stripes (we all know they are supposed to make you
look fatter, right?) But what I love the most about my Marlene are the shoulder
pieces! I have been waiting for long time to use leather or suede on my clothes
and this was the perfect opportunity. I guess I just need to cut my hair short
so it doesn’t hide the shoulder details all the time.

Do you feel
like sewing a Miss Marlene for you too? Well, you can get the English version
of the pattern at Naeh-Connection store for a nice price until Monday. Happy Sewing!

sexta-feira, 2 de dezembro de 2016

Do I need a
fancy mini dress? Living outside of the city and having two small children I
guess I don’t. But I couldn't resist Olu's challenge to be part of Made It Fashion Week...

I had to give this new Made It pattern a try and I had the
perfect fabric on my stash to sew it so “no” wasn’t the right answer…

And now I
have a fabulous new mini dress! (To wear from the kitchen to the living room
and from the living room to the kitchen, as a good friend of mine says when she
thinks about her social live after having kids…)

Anyway,
today it is party time and I am rocking it! Thank you Olu for inviting me to
Made It Fashion Week. It is the most glamorous party I’ve been in the past 10
years… So let’s party!!

PATTERN:
Drop Dress and Top by Made it Patterns. I picked the Top version but, since I
am quite short (1.65m), it works nicely as a mini dress… And I love it! The
pattern pieces are truly unique but the construction is so simple. Looking at
the pictures on Olu’s shop I thought it would be a more complicated pattern to
sew but instead it was incredibly fast and rewarding. Since my fabric is on the fancy side, I made a
small change to the original pattern for a less casual look: I changed the
neckband for a neck facing. I was a bit afraid of doing it, as I have very
little experience sewing for myself, but I am really pleased with the final
result.

(I might need to practice my hand stitching, as you can see on this close-up photo...)

FABRIC:
Grey Rayon Rib Knit from The Sweet Mercerie. I felt in love with this fabric
the moment I saw it! So I bought it… Then it arrived on the mail and I got
really afraid of cutting and sewing it. It is quite a drapery and thin fabric.
I knew my sewing skills might not be enough for it… But it looked so perfect
for this pattern I finally gave it a try. And you know what? I am glad I did! I
am really pleased with my new mini dress and I think the fabric has the perfect
drape for this pattern. Plus, since the pattern is so easy to sew, it was a
great way to start sewing with a more challenging fabric. I am really tented to make another one in black... And I might need one in navy blue too...

Do you also feel like a fast and easy sewing with a cool and edgy final result? Head over to Made It shop and get your Drop Dress and Top during Made It Fashion Week with 20% discount using the code "MFW2016". And don't forget to check out Olu's blog for the links to all other participants blogposts. It is a bunch of super talented ladies in some amazingly cool tops and dresses. You will love it!

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But that's not all! Made It Patterns is offering 2 yards of fabric to the 2th person who purchases a Drop Dress and Top pattern today. Go for it and good luck!

quarta-feira, 12 de outubro de 2016

My friend buddy, Sara, just had a baby and I am delighted to be part of her Virtual Web Baby Shower! It is the perfect excuse to sew something tiny... Oh! How I love sewing baby clothes!

PATTERN: Meow Meow Sweater from Ottobre Magazine 1/2105. I don't own any baby PDF patterns (as my kids were already toddlers when I started sewing) and I wanted to try something different from my "to go baby shower gift" so I browsed through my collection of Ottobre Magazines and found this sweater that looked pretty cool. I can't give you my opinion about the fitting - Ottobre never disappoints when it comes to fitting, right? - but I did enjoy sewing it. Super simple and fast project! I made a couple of changes to the original pattern, though... Since I think pull-over clothes are not very baby friendly, I added a back closer with some plastic snaps. As Ottobre patterns don't have seam allowances that was a really easy modification to do. Beacause I was sewing with "boring" solid navy blue fabric and thought a little colorful detail was needed, I sewed a cloud appliqué at the front.

FABRIC: Navy Blue Sweatshirt Fleace from my local shop (Feira dos Tecidos) and Cloud Printed Cotton from Stof2000. Sometimes I get lucky and find little gems on my local fabric shop. This was one of those! This sweatshirt fleece is incredibly soft and warm. I just hope it is not too thick for baby wear... But, since Sara lives in the north of Portugal, where the temperatures get quite chilly in the wintertime, I think her baby boy will enjoy some warm and cozy clothes. The appliqué fabric was bought long time ago on a trip to Copenhagen. I felt in love with the print but, as usual, left it in my fabric statsh for too long as I didn't feel like cutting my precious fabric... I am glad I had the perfect excuse to do it now!